A Gathering of Heroes: A Personal Memoir of the Los Angeles Riots

I read this book a few years ago after hearing radio personality Dennis Prager recommend it. It is a very worthwhile read. Williams chronicles his upbringing in the midwest and how it differed from most of his friends (piano practice while the others played in the street). He also gives an intimate look at how valuable that upbringing was to him as an adult (childhood friends in prison while he was trying to make it in the entertainment field). This introduction gives a good background for the frustration and shock at what followed the Rodney King verdict in 1992 when the news hit the streets. These emotions prompted Williams to run out of him home (in the area of the riots) in an effort to try to do something positive in the middle of the chaos. This sets up the story of how Williams rescued a Japanese man from attackers during the riots, and the publicity the act inspired. Although this act was only a minor news story in the larger story of the riots, it is just as large a human story. It is very thought provoking and makes for an interesting and quick read. I would recommend it to anyone that wants a first person look at the riots. My wife used it as one of many sources for a college term paper on the riots.